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What happens if you get less than six hours sleep each night? Research from the University of Newcastle suggests that your risk of developing type 2 diabetes may increase by 30%.

Type 2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance. This occurs when a person’s fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin, a hormone which is required to move sugar from the blood into cells. Symptoms include fatigue, excessive thirst and blurred vision.

The results of the study are consistent with previous studies where volunteers became insulin resistant after several consecutive nights of acute sleep deprivation.

Researchers examined data from 240,000 people aged over 45 in NSW. More than 7,000 of the people studied coped with fewer than six hours’ sleep.

This research may help identify people with a high risk of developing diabetes, and assist people who are already diabetic and are having trouble controlling their glucose levels.